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BOOKS THAT COOK The Reading List American Cheeses The Best Regional, Artisan, and Farmhouse Cheeses; Who Makes Them, and Where to Find Them by Clark Wolf (Simon & Schuster, $25) Clark Wolf had been meaning to write about his adventures sleuthing out this country’s most amazing cheeses for almost 30 years. It’s good news for all of us that he has fi nally gotten to it. In this delightful book, Wolf travels from West to East, stopping often along the way to introduce us to his favorite cheeses and the artisans who make them. It’s hard to imagine a better guide. Wolf, who has run multiple cheese shops and served as the executive director of the American Cheese Society, is generous, knowledgeable, charming, and chatty. He starts by walking us through cheese basics in depth: how it’s made, how to store and serve it, what to eat and drink with it, where to buy it, and a whole lot more. Next come intimate profi les of cheese makers, organized by region (the Northeast and New England, the South, the Middle West, and the Wild West), along with an eclectic mix of recipes New must-buys for food lovers. BY KIMBERLY Y. MASIBAY from top American chefs. Taken together and illustrated with lovely black-and-white photographs, it’s a fascinating overview of a particular sliver of our national food culture. Frank Stitt’s Bottega Favorita A Southern Chef’s Love Affair with Italian Food (Artisan Books, $40) Back in 1988, Frank Stitt, a thirdgeneration Alabamian, opened Bottega Italian Restaurant in Birmingham. Blending southern ingredients with Italian culinary techniques, Stitt’s Bottega was a delicious success, as is his inspiring new book. It’s fi lled with evocative photos that capture the restaurant’s spirit and energy, plus 150 tantalizing recipes—you’ll fi nd Venetian risottos, Tuscan grilled and roasted meats, Piedmontese braises, Neapolitan grilled and stewed seafood, hearty Roman pastas and wood-fi red pizzas, and spicy Sicilian couscous. Bottega’s fare is straightforward —fresh, humble ingredients, harmoniously combined and simply presented—so you really can cook Stitt’s recipes at home. 28 FINE COOKING • FEB/MAR 2009 Food Matters A Guide to Conscious Eating, with More Than 75 Recipes by Mark Bittman (Simon & Schuster, $24) Food lovers have plenty to ponder these days. A trip to the supermarket can stir up a stew of questions about where our food comes from; how animals and crops are raised; how our choices aff ect our health and our planet; and, increasingly, why food costs so darn much. In his new book, award-winning cookbook author Mark Bittman effi ciently investigates these tough questions and proposes an eating plan to improve the health of people, planet, and pocketbook. It’s simple: Cut out the junk. Eat fewer animals. Feast on lots of real whole foods—fruits, veggies, grains. But Bittman’s not about to deprive anyone of good food. Rather, in a direct, appealing style, he unravels a tangle of information about diet, health, agriculture, government, and climate change, illustrating the links between our eating habits and the environment. Bittman foresees a brighter future as he off ers solutions in the form of meal plans, menus, and more than 75 well-crafted recipes. Kimberly Y. Masibay is a Fine Cooking contributing editor. what we’re reading now A recent stroll though a sidewalk book sale turned up a 1949 edition of James Beard’s The Fireside Cookbook. A e I been a fan of Beard’s since the first time I made his pot roast from American Cooker (despite the salt typo!), this was a first experience with this charming book. I won be trying Duchess Soup (an odd mix of t oca, milk, and grated American cheese) u the Whitebait Pancakes sound like a good bet. Beard’s unique voice is a big part of s book’s appeal, but it’s the vintage illustrats that take the cake. —Laurie Buckle pi